


Dot Dot Dash

by oneawkwardcookie



Series: Hot and Cold [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Evan "Buck" Buckley - Freeform, F/M, Ficlet, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, POV Howie "Chimney" Han, Protective Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Sick Character, Sickfic, There's No Madney Baby In This
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:55:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27498310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneawkwardcookie/pseuds/oneawkwardcookie
Summary: Chimney can talk enough for the both of them, and Maddie is silent but not voiceless.
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han, Maddie Buckley/Howie “Chimney” Han
Series: Hot and Cold [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937338
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Dot Dot Dash

He’s quieter than normal on shift; he knows it. He’s eternally grateful to Hen, who took one look at him and gave him a reassuring nod, letting their time in the ambulance pass in companionable silence, replying to Bobby on his behalf, making the occasional joke whilst they’re lounging around in the loft.

The shift still passes too slowly, and though his phone is constantly buzzing with texts, he knows he won’t find peace until he’s home. He’s sitting on a bench in the gym, weights on the floor as he replies to the latest message from Maddie, when he sees Buck approaching, from the corner of his eyes.

He keeps his focus on the phone and the three dots that flicker below his latest message.

“How is she?” Buck’s voice is too loud on top of his own deafening thoughts. Eddie’s hovering in the background, a pinched look of concern on his face that’s only amplified on Buck.

“She’s… she’s just at home, wouldn’t let me take time off as well, but she’s got everything else she needs – think we’ve got enough lozenges and cough medicine to last the rest of our lives, and none of my bowls are in my cupboard anymore.” His laugh is more of a snorted exhale, and Buck is still concerned enough to sit next to him, leaning over to look at his phone.

He turns it away, shooting an unimpressed look at Buck. “Buck, she’ll be alright – nothing a week or so of R&R won’t cure. She just didn’t want to worry you.”

Buck opens his mouth again, but the only noise that follows is the alarm. Leaping up, he jogs out, letting out an audible groan once he’s back with Hen, slumping in the passenger seat.

“She’s fine, Chim.”

“I know, Hen, I know.”

The intermittent buzzing in his pocket as he drives back tells him she’ll still be awake when he gets home. He drops her a text once he’s parked up, and she’s already waiting with the door open.

He barely gets her name out before she’s wrapped her arms around him, hands melting into the back of his hoodie and resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’ve got you, Maddie.” He clings on almost as tightly, holding her up until she relinquishes her grip and takes a step back.

“Any improvement from the morning?”

She opens her mouth but closes it just as quickly, giving a quick shake of her head instead.

When he’d woken up, her normal greeting was replaced by an unintelligibly hoarse croak. She’d coughed sharply to try and clear her throat, but the third attempt had just led to a coughing fit that only stopped after he’d gotten her to drink a little water and rubbed her back until she could breathe normally.

Now, she has no voice at all, and it pains him to see how furious she looks at the whole situation, tears threatening to spill over her red cheeks and past her twisted lips.

“It’s alright,” he takes her hand and leads her out of the doorway, pushing the door shut with his foot, “it’ll just take time.”

He knows how much she loves her work, but she’d finally admitted defeat after a few unsuccessful attempts to talk normally, and removed her grip on his wrist so that he could ring in sick for her, even as she frowned loudly in the background whilst Sue said she should take all the time she needed to get her voice back. He’d offered to stay with her, but she’d levelled him with a glare that brokered no disagreement, fingers tapping impatiently on the countertop next to the coffee machine until he’d convinced her to go and lie down.

He sits down on the neatly made bed, giving a gentle tug to get her to take a seat next to him. Once she’s perched on the edge of the mattress, he presses a hand to the back of her head, grimacing as she lets out a silent sigh of relief. She’s too hot for words, and not in an entirely good way.

“Have you been drinking lots of water today, taken medication –”

Even without any words, the unamused expression tells him that his fussing and medical training is no match for her nursing expertise and sheer force of will. It’s only broken by another bout of coughing that has her rubbing her throat in discomfort.

“I just worry – I know you don’t like this,” he rubs a hand over her arm as he passes her a lozenge. 

They get changed quickly, and he’s glad that he’d showered at the station, because it means that he doesn’t have to let her out of his sight now; he can just pull back the duvet and pull her close, until he’s wrapped around her.

He brings one hand up over her face again, thumb rubbing away at her cheek. His heart tears a little as he feels the dampness of a tear that had broken free.

“How about we try something?” He almost laughs at how much the confused tilt of her head reminds him of the other Buckley.

Bringing his hand down to hers, he raises it to her eyeline, interlocking their fingers.

“I can say I love you for both of us, and I can do the talking for both of us for the moment too.” He presses his lips against the side of her face. “All I need from you is this –” he gives her hand a gentle squeeze “– short squeeze for no, long squeeze for yes.”

He talks about his day, trying not to include too many funny stories in case it prompts more coughing, but asking questions, so he can feel her press her fingertips against the back of his hand.

The pressure steadily decreases, and her breathing slows, so he tilts his voice down further until he’s whispering about how much he thought about her in the day. She replies with a long squeeze.

“I love you.”

She squeezes his hand for the rest of the night, even in her sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, kudos and comments are always appreciated!


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